The present invention relates to a battery charger, in particular of a type in which a battery to be charged is coupled to the charger itself during charging.
Known chargers of this type include one or more fittings to secure a battery to the charger with the electrical terminals of the battery in contact with corresponding terminals of the charger. The fittings ensure that the battery cannot move, which could result in loss of electrical contact. The batteries are typically heavy, so it is known to provide the fittings in a position which allows the batteries to rest on the same surface (such as a table top) as the charger itself.
A problem with such a charger is that batteries, even of the same type, vary in size in dependence upon numerous factors including battery capacity and manufacturer. In order to accommodate for such differences in battery size, chargers are either provided for specific batteries, which makes the charger less attractive commercially, or are provided with fittings in different positions on the casing.
An alternative solution has been to provide the fittings on a top surface of the charger such that the batteries rest on the charger itself. However, this does not normally provide as good an electrical and mechanical connection and can cause instability of the charger because of the weight of the batteries (particularly if not provided symmetrically on the charger top), which needs to be mitigated against in practice by making the charger heavy. A heavy charger is not only more expensive to produce and supply but is also less portable.
The present invention seeks to provide an improved battery charger.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a battery charger including a casing locatable on a support surface, a charging module within the casing and at least one battery fitting on the exterior of the casing to which a battery can be fitted, the fitting providing electrical coupling between a battery and the charging module, wherein the at least one battery fitting is movable relative to the casing such that a battery coupled thereto is placeable on the same support surface as the casing.
Preferably, the fitting is movable from a battery non-engaging to a battery engaging position. This feature can allow the movable fitting to accommodate any size differences in batteries.
In the preferred embodiment, a battery can be placed on the same surface as the charger and the battery fitting moved to the battery itself until electrical coupling therewith is established. Thus, the charger need not support the battery or batteries to be charged thereby, avoiding the need to make the charger sufficiently heavy to give adequate support. As the batteries are typically heavy because of their electrical capacities, this can be a significant advantage.
Advantageously, the fitting is provided in a carriage reciprocally slideable within a guide on the casing.
The fitting is preferably designed such that it can provide charging current in most of and most preferably all or substantially all of its positions.
The charger may be provided with a plurality of such fittings, for example four, all being movable.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a battery charger casing including at least one battery fitting on the exterior of the casing to which a battery can be fitted, the fitting providing electrical coupling between a battery and the charging module, wherein the or at least one battery fitting is movable between upper and lower positions for allowing a battery coupled thereto to rest on a same support surface as the casing.